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Valka Castle
|Area = Ciceros Strait |GR = C-7SW |topdepth = ~22.5ft (7m) |maxdepth = 115ft (35m) |fish = 3 |magnificationspots = 4 |coral = 1 |largecreatures = 1 |salvagelocations = 4 }}Valka Castle is a main area in . It is a 16th-century stone castle that ended up hidden within Ciceros Strait, after "sinking" several hundred years ago. Valka Castle can be accessed through the Well of the Full Moon, located in the ruins of Triton Village, and is known as a greatly popular salvaging location with glamorously designed chambers and corridors. Wildlife and Environment Flora and Fauna Valka Castle is mostly devoid of flora, such as coral. Interestingly, no algae can be seen around the castle, despite it being an environment where it would typically flourish underwater. can be seen here in the Mermaid's Ballroom, alongside several swallowtail sea perch, mahi-mahi, and other species of fish.]] In the way of sea life, however, the halls and chambers of Valka Castle are abundant with rich and colorful creatures. Spiral Tower, notably, is home to the castle's only scalloped hammerheads, who reside near the top. Each of the small chambers within the castle contains various species of fish, such as meagre, longtooth grouper, red cornetfish, and more. In particular, fish such as blue-green chromis, lined surgeonfish, and bicolor parrotfish are plentiful throughout many parts of the castle. The inner halls and corridors of the castle contain life such as luna lionfish, blue-spotted ribbontail rays, red stingrays, and clown wrasse, who can be commonly seen near the Underwater Gallery. Thanatos can commonly be seen swimming around outside of most windows of the castle during the day. When the player has collected all coins under the Voice of the Night Sky sub-quest "Solar System", they venture to the Underwater Gallery with GG, where the prehistoric Anomalocaris is seen swimming outside the windows of the gallery. Following this, the Anomalocaris can be seen swimming outside the windows of the Gallery during the day. Under zoom-mode glow spots, smaller fish such as cardinal fish, young clown wrasse, and several species of sea slug such as Berthella aurantiaca, luminescent sea slugs, and branched sea slugs, as well as other species of marine life, such as the jellyfish Turritopsis nutricula, mauve stingers, young or even egg-form blotchy swell sharks, and the legendary Ailouros Pearl. As is with most other locations, several Constellation Coins can be found throughout glow spots in Valka Castle, several of which are required for certain sub-quests. Geography and Features The architecture and design of this castle stands out amongst other locations in Blue World, as it is one of only two purely man-made diving areas in the game, the other being the Cavern of the Gods. The castle is made entirely out of stone materials and glass. It contains a large tower, several small chambers used for purposes such as storage, a lengthy and rich, life-filled gallery, and a masterful, grand ballroom. The castle also houses much ancient furniture and paintings of note -- in particular, a "flat map of the circular earth" (see right) that serves as a major plot point, and a portrait of Prince Valka himself. The castle also notably features several locking mechanisms; the Secret Room is hidden until a book entitled "Clavis" ("key" in Latin) is pulled, triggering a bookcase door, and the doors to the King's Chamber dramatically close and lock the player and Oceana Louvier inside, following an instance of the Song of Dragons, during the main plot of Blue World, requiring a specifically-timed lever pull/door pull to exit. In-Game Plot Significance Valka Castle is one of the most important areas in Blue World, holding not only many secrets and treasures that prove to be a valuable aide in the quest for the Pacifica Treasure (such as the Okeanos Tablet and flat map of the circular earth), but also serving as an area that hosts many legendary creatures, quest plot points, salvage requests, and more. The castle serves as the fourth main area explored in Blue World, following Gatama Atoll, Deep Hole, and Ciceros Strait, and is a crucial turning point in L&L Diving Service's quest for the truth behind the Song of Dragons. During the main storyline, the player and Oceana first discover the castle by complete accident, having swum down the Well of the Full Moon to escape Thanatos, who was ambushing them in Triton Village. Exploring the castle, the pair find all sorts of colorful wildlife and fascinating architecture throughout the castle. Eventually, the pair find a passageway down the Underwater Gallery, leading them into the vast, decorous Mermaid's Ballroom, where they find a throne at the end of the room, as well as a locked door. The player and Oceana must retrieve a key called the Glorious Key in order to enter here; however, the key is stuck on the throne, 'guarded' by a lone luna lionfish. opening.]] After luring the lionfish away with food and retrieving the key, they enter the King's Chamber and investigate the contents of the room, eventually leading to the discovery of a single volume on a bookshelf remaining in good condition. Entitled "Clavis", Latin for the word "key", they pull on the tome to reveal a hidden bookcase door that swings open. The moment this occurs, however, the Song of Dragons also plays, and the door to the chamber itself swings shut as a result. The player and Oceana must then pull a lever and pull on the door simultaneously to open it again, at which point a North Atlantic right whale reveals itself as the singer of the Song of Dragons. The player and Oceana leave with their newfound treasure, an Okeanos Tablet found in the Secret Room, which ends up sending L&L Diving Service to the North Coast of Canada. Dive Description "Priceless medieval ornaments and works of art still adorn this sunken castle, just as its stone walls house many secrets and legends." Notebook Description "Prince Valka, a powerful Eastern European aristocrat of the Ottoman Dynasty, erected Valka Castle in the 16th century. Records say that this splendid and luxurious castle was built on a small island in the Aegean, but at some point during the 18th century, the castle sank into the sea overnight. The exact location of this mysterious castle was unknown until L&L Diving Service discovered it." Landmarks and Areas Well Bottom This unremarkable corridor consists entirely of bland stone and a sandy, rocky floor. It is a small passageway on the western side of the map that leads into Spiral Tower, via a left-facing corner. The player begins here when they enter the Well of the Full Moon, and, by extension, Valka Castle itself, and can also swim back up here to exit Valka Castle. Spiral Tower and scalloped hammerheads can be seen swimming.]] Located at the end and to the left of the Well Bottom, this uniquely structured, tall tower is filled with several fish, such as lined surgeonfish, meagre, and the castle's only scalloped hammerheads at the top. Common octopuses can be found at the bottom, as can a . There are two passages located within this tower, on its second floor: one going north and one going east. The northern one leads to the rest of the castle, whereas the eastern one leads to the Collapsed Gallery. Collapsed Gallery This is the passage going east in the Spiral Tower. It leads to a dead end, a collapsed mess of rubble, but there are still some interesting coral reef fish here, as well as a large barrel you can salvage. Most of the time, this will be an Empty Oil Drum. Armory As its name suggests, this is where soldiers kept their armor during the castle's heyday. Blue-green chromis and a longtooth grouper are seen here, as well as some creatures under a zoom-mode glow spot. Treasure Vault This is where treasure was kept. Blue-green chromis and meagre are found here. The first time it is visited, it will be locked, but divers will notice a hole large enough for Oceane to squeeze through, and she will open the door from within. This is also where the Servant's Ring quest item is found, necessary for discovering the Golden Catfish. Underwater Gallery This is a vast, lengthy corridor, filled with large windows through which light streams freely. Here, fish of all shapes, colors, and sizes -- ranging from large longtooth grouper and clown wrasse, down to smaller harlequin sweetlips. Thanatos is also seen lurking outside the windows occasionally, and, later, the Anomalocaris is seen outside of here too. Mermaid's Ballroom and collapsed chandelier.]] A giant, glorious ballroom where people had danced when the castle was above water, it is still a perfectly useable ballroom... albeit, for fish to dance and swim in. and even a false killer whale are found here. A luna lionfish guards the throne, but can be moved aside by drawing with the underwater pen. Doing this will expose the Glorious Key, which opens the door to the King's Chamber. The Ailouros Pearl can be found under a zoom-mode glow spot in front of the throne (once the player has completed exploring Valka Castle in the main storyline), and Phantom can be seen here at night (only after beating the main plot). Thanatos can be seen outside of the windows here as well. In addition, the scarred false killer whale is also initially found here. Just outside the ballroom, there is a door that is locked on the other side, but can be opened on the side the diver is currently at. King's Chamber This is the chamber in which the mighty Prince Valka resided. It is opened by using the Glorious Key. It has a portrait of Prince Valka himself on the wall, which gives a clue about how to open the Secret Room. It also has Anaximander's flat map of the circular earth, which becomes very important in the main storyline. After entering and finding the Secret Room, the doors will close and lock, trapping the diver and Oceana in the chamber after the Song of Dragons is played. The only way out is by having Oceana activate a mechanism under a desk while you push the door open, but it will only work if it is done at the same time. After doing this, a North Atlantic right whale can be seen outside the window, indicating it was the one singing the Song of Dragons. Secret Room A small room connected to the King's Chamber. It is opened by moving the book entitled Clavis (key in Latin). There are many cloudy catsharks on the floor here, as well as a few salvageable items. This is, primarily, where the first Okeanos Tablet is found. small ring Category:Large Barrels Category:Valka Castle Category:Ciceros Strait Category:Locations Category:Endless Ocean: Blue World